Stephanie Cartwright
From Social Outcast to the Mayor’s Office
There is a Bible on the corner of Roman Polikrovsky’s desk. It’s something of a miracle that it’s sitting there in plain view, for all to see. You see Roman was born in 1979 to evangelical Christian parents who endured all manner of Soviet oppression. The Soviet authorities wanted to eradicate the church and eliminate the Bible, so back then, believers hid their Bibles because if the KGB showed up, they would go to jail. Roman’s parents had high hopes and dreams for their child. But because the USSR had never allowed Christians to enter professions that would allow them to influence society, they held little hope that he would be allowed to obtain an influential job. But then the USSR collapsed, leaving behind a spiritual vacuum. Roman then had his opportunity to pursue an influential career that would allow him to share his faith. Today-at just 42 years old-Roman…
Evangeline’s Story: 6-year-old sharing Christ at Bible camp
Lives are changing for Christ across Eurasia through our summer camps every year. Just ask Evangeline of Novomoskovsk, Ukraine. During the pandemic last year, the 6-year-old seized on opportunities to share the gospel with other children while serving alongside her parents at our neighborhood Bible day camps. While she has endured her own ongoing health challenges and disease, her parents-Sergey and Valentina-say she is growing strong physically and in her faith. The young girl speaks about God with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding that is far beyond her years, her parents say. Instead of fearing death, Evangeline sees it as a road to eternity with the Lord. Sergey, who is a pastor, sees his daughter’s name as an example of God’s providence. Her passion for sharing the Good News of the Jesus with everyone is evident, he says. While working through their daughter’s health issues, Sergey and Valentina have learned to trust God more…
Yevgenia’s Story: I really had a spiritual ‘reboot’
You can see the joy on Yevgenia’s face as she stood in the water. She will never forget the five-day “Restart” Christian camp led by School Without Walls (SWW) leaders that stirred her to make the most important decision of her life – the decision to put her trust in Jesus Christ and be baptized that week. The 20-year-old refers to her decision to follow Christ as a “reboot” that has given her life new momentum. “During the year, I had to overcome a lot of difficulties that taught me to trust God,” she said, “and a lot of the decisions I made at camp had a greater impact on me. I started a new life with Christ and became softer, more courageous, and happier.” This “reboot” has given Yevgenia the strength to handle a difficult season of life where she has dealt with a series of health challenges, the death…
Artem’s dream: How faith, SWW gave teen new purpose
Artem, 18, recalled the dream that led him to turn from sin and give his life to Christ. “One night I had a dream about a man dressed in white, and a bright light emanated from him,” Artem said. “He told me that if I didn’t change my ways, then I would face great suffering. When I woke up, I was afraid and I knew that I needed to fix my life.” Artem, who grew up in a Christian home in Russia but had fallen away from his faith, decided to turn his life over to Christ. He soon became involved in Mission Eurasia’s School Without Walls (SWW) Christian leadership training program. “God spoke to me through young Christians, who helped me understand why it is important to obey the Lord,” he said. “Thanks to their kindness, I realized that I didn’t want to live without God anymore, and He became the most important thing in my life. “As soon as I…
From fearful Yazidi to child of God
“We are all going to hell!” Boris remembers his Yazidi grandmother in Armenia telling him this when he was a young man. These words frightened Boris, who turned to a Yazidi spiritual leader for hope. But he told Boris that only a select few would make it to paradise and that even spiritual leaders like himself couldn’t escape hell. Hopelessness and poverty surrounded Boris and led him to become an alcoholic. Despair among the Yazidi people is not surprising, says Don Parsons, Mission Eurasia’s ministry director for unreached people groups. “The Yazidis are a religious subgroup of the Kurdish people,” he says. “Most of them are animistic pagans who worship the sun and pay homage to Satan.” But someone shared the Light of the gospel with Boris. At first, when he heard about Jesus, Boris thought that Jesus was just the Armenian god. But he cried out to God and…
Her disability didn’t stop her from serving the Lord
Elnara was desperate for a new start – deaf, unable to speak, spiritually lost, and a single mom raising two children on her own in Kazakhstan. It’s a place where more than half the population is Muslim, Christians are persecuted for their faith, and churches have been closed. Mission Eurasia’s School Without Walls (SWW) program reached out to Elnara – and her life hasn’t been the same. She shared, “I am 27 years old, and Tatar by nationality. I am also deaf, so I can’t speak. About two and a half years ago, sin reigned in my life, and my family broke apart.” After Elnara and her husband divorced, she rembered feeling “very broken” inside. “I had always called myself a Christian, because my mom and I went to church on holidays, but I didn’t live a Christian life,” she said. “When I was older, I worked as a model, and my entire life was filled…